Kukla's Korner Hockey

Thornton watched two games of the 2007 Ducks-Senators final on tape while in India and, between winces, noticed the physical dominance of Anaheim, the Western Conference team. So, why shouldn’t it be San Jose’s turn in 2008? “We have a little more experience from the Edmonton and Detroit series,” he said of second-round meltdowns in the past two seasons. “We realize we had some of those games in hand, but couldn’t find a way to finish them. There are a lot of pieces here, a lot of guys going through their prime years. Realistically, we’ve got a shot at the Cup.”

The Sharks, in fact, have an excellent shot. With Thornton taking the mantle of leadership that has been assigned to him since his teenage years with the Bruins, San Jose is SI’s choice to win it all.